Japanese Subculture Auctions/ International shipping, free online participation
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Buying Guide

At Akihabara Auctions, we make buying from overseas an easy and secure process. Our team can arrange safe and reliable shipping of your items to your desired location. We are committed to protecting your valuable items and offer insurance coverage for high-value purchases. To ensure we can ship to your location, please contact us before bidding.

BUYING (Bid)

Experience the thrill of the auction and bid on exclusive items at Akihabara Auctions! Our auctions start with an opening bid below the market price, giving buyers the chance to secure a fantastic deal on their dream item. The highest bidder takes home the coveted item if there are no other bids at or above the suggested price. We welcome visitors to our auction rooms, but only registered participants can make a bid. To register, simply fill out the application form on our website and agree to our Auction Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

To find out your next property, please visit our online catalog (catalogs will be posted 10 to 14 days before any auction). Akihabara Auctions offers several ways to start or expand your collection. How to bid in our auctions:

Absentee Bidding

If you are unable to attend an auction, you can place an absentee bid at least 24 hours before the auction. Following the order of our catalog, simply fill out our Absentee Bidding Form with the lot numbers and your maximum bid amount.
Absentee Bidding

Bid in Person

Experience the excitement of bidding in person by attending the auction and viewing the items up close. Upon arrival, you will receive a numbered paddle to use during the bidding process. When you are ready to place a bid, simply raise your paddle and the auctioneer will acknowledge it.

TELEPHONE BIDDING

On the day of the auction, we offer a telephone bidding service to our customers who cannot attend the sale in person or online. Please, fill out the Telephone Bidding Form as early as possible, as the number of interpreters and lines is limited.

Absentee bidding is also available.

apply for telephone bidding

ONLINE BIDDING

Our auctions are available online, and bidders can participate worldwide with an internet connection. Please note that significant delays may occur depending on your internet environment, device performance, etc. Therefore, to avoid deceptions, we kindly ask you to consider a different bidding way as an Absentee or Telephone Bidding, as we do not process complaints due to connection problems.
To participate in multiple auctions, contact us or send us an e-mail for each auction you wish to participate in, as our system requires registration for each auction.

How to Buy

VISIT OUR ONLINE CATALOGUE

Before and during every auction, there will be an online catalog with images and descriptions of the lots and/or artist names. Follow this link to pre-select your favorite lots: akihabara-auctions.com/catalog.

PREVIEW
Along with the catalog, all lots will be exhibited in our salesroom. It’s an opportunity to check the condition of the lots and speak with our specialists.
If you are unable to come to the preview, you can contact us and ask questions to our specialists, too.
ON THE AUCTION DAY (Admission is free.)
If you’re interested in participating in our auctions, please note that only registered participants are allowed to make bids, whether in person, absentee, by phone, or online.
However, even if you haven’t registered beforehand, you can still participate as long as you register at the reception desk on the day of the auction. Anyone over 20 years can register.

When it comes to bidding, the auctioneer has the final say. The highest bid accepted by the auctioneer, marked by the striking of his hammer, becomes the Hammer price at which the Lot is sold to the buyer. This also marks the conclusion of a contract for sale between the seller and the buyer through our service.

The auction is free of charge to participate in, but if you win the bid, you are obligated to pay. Please note that the successful bidder is unable to cancel the bid for any reason, including the conditions of the work or frame. Lastly, our auction is a confidential purchasing system, which means that the seller’s and buyer’s information are strictly confidential.

1. Bid in Person

On the day of the auction, if you plan on attending the auction in person, please be sure to provide your name and address. Once you have registered, you will receive a paddle with a unique number that you can use to place bids during the sale. To make a bid, simply raise your paddle and wait for the auctioneer to recognize your offer. If you end up being the only bidder left, the auctioneer will declare the item sold and announce the hammer price along with your paddle number.

Feel free to leave and re-enter the venue as you wish. We kindly ask you to return your paddle when you leave. In case your paddle is lost or damaged, we will need to charge you the actual production cost of 8,000 yen (excluding tax).

2. Absentee Bidding

If you cannot attend the auction in person, you can still participate by submitting an absentee bid. To do so, please complete our bid form at https://akihabara-auctions.com/buying_documents/ and send it to us via fax or email.
Our team will then bid on your behalf during the auction, competing with other bidders until the bidding ends. If the other bidders stop bidding before your maximum bid is reached, you’ll be able to buy the lot at the next increment.

3. Bid Live by Phone

To participate in our telephone bidding, we will give you a call a few minutes before the lot you want to bid on. Our team will take turns bidding on your behalf against other bidders while keeping a close eye on the bid amount via phone. If you’re interested in bidding by phone, kindly fill out our bid form https://akihabara-auctions.com/buying_documents/ and send it to us via fax or email.
Please make sure to request this service in advance, as we have limited telephone lines available.

4. Online Advance Bidding: Pre-bid

As a registered member, you can easily place online absentee bids for items you’re interested in purchasing through our website. This pre-bidding system is accessible by logging in and entering your maximum bid before the auction starts. Your bid amount is kept private and won’t be displayed to other bidders. Please note that additional bids can’t be made after the deadline for advanced bidding.
Therefore, we encourage all potential buyers to attend the auction in person or participate in our Live bidding option too.

ONLINE LIVE BIDDING

Are you interested in participating in our auction? With our online bidding option, you can log in from our website and join the auction in real-time. Our bidding system is built to work seamlessly with the internet, so you can bid on the lots you want from the comfort of your own home.
During the sale, the screen will advance automatically, following the order of the lots. When the time comes for the lot you want, simply place your bid.
It’s important to note that we cannot be held liable for any issues resulting from a software failure or inability to access the internet, so please allow yourself sufficient time for bidding and refrain from making additional bids when a fair warning is given. Join in on the excitement of live bidding and see what treasures you can add to your collection!

Our auctions are streamed live, but please be aware that there may be a delay of 5 to 30 seconds up to 2 minutes due to factors such as internet connectivity, server status, device performance, etc. Therefore, we kindly ask that you avoid placing bids while watching the live stream as there may be a difference in the lot numbers being auctioned at the actual venue versus what is being shown on the video. The time lag between the price indicated at the venue and the price presented online may result in failure to purchase desired lots.

Please note that we cannot be held responsible for any issues or claims arising from online live bidding. We encourage you to participate in our auctions with the most secure bidding method available.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Payment

Buyer’s Premium

The bid amounts announced during the auction do not include the buyer’s premium or applicable taxes. The winning bidder is required to pay the final price, which includes the hammer price and a buyer’s premium of 15.0% (excluding tax) of the hammer price.

For example:when the hammer price is 840,000 JPY,
    The hammer price: 840,000JPY
    The commission fee (15.0%): 126,000JPY
    The consumption tax (10%): 12,600JPY
The total amount you need to pay: 978,600 JPY
*in a clear description, the total amount will be 16.5% more than the Hammer Price.
*The shipping cost will be at your actual expense, and we will additionally charge packaging fees, particularly for secure packaging during international transportation.

Payment of your purchases

On the auction day, you are free to enter and exit the salesroom as you please, even if the auction is still in progress. If you decide to leave in the middle of the auction and wish to retrieve any purchases you have made, simply request it at reception when you return the paddle.

You are welcome to take them with you if you are making a payment on the same day. Please keep in mind that we only accept credit cards (Visa, JCB) or transportation electronic money for payment. If you choose to pay with a credit card, kindly note that you will be required to pay the final amount along with a 4.0% card fee. If you would like to apply for an individual loan agreement, feel free to visit the reception desk for further assistance.

If you are unable to make payment on the day of the auction or if you won the bid remotely, please note that you will need to make the payment via bank transfer to our account. Please keep in mind that the buyer is responsible for the remittance charge. It’s important to note that we do not accept any form of virtual currency as payment.

After a successful bid, please check the total amount on your profile page. From there, you can make a bank transfer to our account, which is also listed on your profile. Please note that purchases will be held for 14 days after the sale, regardless of payment status.

You can make payments through “PayPal” and “Stripe”; however, there is a usage limit, and if the amount is high, it may not be accepted. Additionally, we do not support payments with virtual currency.

If you are unable to make a transfer within the given period, please notify us at your earliest convenience. Failure to make a transfer without contacting us may prevent you from participating in future auctions.

If you have participated from abroad and have successfully won the bid, the total amount will be calculated based on the exchange rate on the day of the auction. The settlement method remains the same as above, and we kindly ask you to make the payment in Japanese Yen (JPY) to our account. Please note that bank charges are the responsibility of the buyer.

Delivery of Purchases

For successful bids in all sales, after you have paid for your property, you can choose to arrange shipping through our designated carriers, arrange your carrier, or collect your purchases in person.

Following this, we will issue a bill for your review. If your shipping address differs from your registered address, please notify us promptly. While we take great care in ensuring the safety of your purchase, we regret to inform you that any losses incurred during transportation are not our responsibility.

After the auction ends, if you wish to pick up the item from our company, please inform us of your preferred pickup date, and we will arrange for handover at our location. If you are participating from overseas and wish to coordinate the pickup with your visit to Japan, please consult with us in advance.

If you wish to have your items insured during transportation, kindly note that the cost will be incurred by you. We do offer overseas shipping, but this will be subject to the policies of the destination country. For items of significant value, we will ensure that insurance coverage is taken out.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to us should you have any further queries.

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URL: https://akihabara-auctions.com
Akihabara Auctions Inc.
8-7, Nibancho, Chiyoda-ku, TOKYO JAPAN 102-0084
TEL: +81-3-3512-0051
Antique Dealer License No. : 301002216174
authorized by the Tokyo Metropolitan
Public Safety Commission
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